On My Own (Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald song)

"On My Own"
Single by Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald
from the album Winner in You
Released	March 22, 1986
Format	Maxi single, CD
Recorded	1985
Genre	Soft rock
Length	4:33
Label	MCA
Writer(s)	Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager
Producer	Burt Bachrach, Carole Bayer Sager
Certification	Gold (RIAA)
Patti LaBelle singles chronology
"Stir It Up" (1985) "On My Own" (1986) "Oh, People" (1986)
Michael McDonald singles chronology "No Lookin' Back" (1985) "On My Own" (1986) "Sweet Freedom" (1986)

"On My Own" was a Billboard #1 hit duet by singers Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald when it was released as a single in 1986. It was released from LaBelle's first platinum album, Winner in You and was written and produced by Burt Bacharach and his former wife Carole Bayer Sager. The song was originally recorded by singer Dionne Warwick for inclusion on her album Friends. It is unclear why the song was not included on the final tracklist. The song was based on a relationship that had reached its end with both parties going their separate ways in a melancholy state with the occasional option of coming back together again one day.

It was often stated the two performers were in separate cities when they recorded their individual parts which were then "married" during mastering. This was reflected in the music video produced to promote the song, which depicted LaBelle and McDonald performing the song simultaneously on different coasts. The singers were shown on separate sides of a split screen, each singing the song while walking through apartments which had identical layouts but different decor and furniture. The views from their respective porches, where they finished the song, made clear their separation by the continent.

Chart performance

The song became the biggest single ever for both singers as it hit number one on the Billboard magazine pop, for 3 weeks, the R&B and Adult Contemporary charts, as well as number two in the UK singles chart, going gold - (it was the 22nd best-selling single of 1986 in the UK). The song was initially not intended to be a duet at all, but LaBelle decided to invite McDonald to help her turn the song into a duet, as she stated: "The song was sent to me and I did a version of it but somehow it just didn't quite work. We were going over things I'd done and we talked about turning it into a duet. Someone asked, 'If you could do it with anyone, who would you sing it with,' and Michael was my first choice..."

Chart positions

Chart (1986)	Peak position
US Billboard Hot 100	1
US Billboard Hot Black Singles	1
US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks	2,2w
Austrian Singles chart	20
Canadian RPM 100	1
Dutch Singles chart	1
New Zealand RIANZ chart	4
Swedish Singles chart	15
UK Singles Chart	2

Year-end charts

Chart (1986)	Position
US Billboard Hot 100	4

Preceded by "Live to Tell" by Madonna	Billboard Hot 100 number-one single June 14, 1986 – June 28, 1986	Succeeded by "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)" by Billy Ocean
Preceded by "I Have Learned to Respect the Power of Love" by Stephanie Mills	Billboard Hot Black Singles number-one single May 17, 1986	Succeeded by "Nasty" by Janet Jackson
Preceded by "A Different Corner" by George Michael	Canadian RPM 100 number-one single June 21, 1986 - June 28, 1986	Succeeded by "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)" by Billy Ocean

Reba McEntire version

"On My Own"
Single by Reba McEntire
from the album Starting Over
B-side	"Read My Mind"
Released	1995
Format	CD single
Genre	Country
Length	4:34
Label	MCA Nashville
Writer(s)	Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager
Producer	Tony Brown, Reba McEntire
Reba McEntire singles chronology
"And Still" (1995) "On My Own" (1995) "Ring on Her Finger, Time on Her Hands" (1995)

In 1995, country music sinnger Reba McEntire covered the song on her 1995 album Starting Over. Her version, featuring guest vocals from Martina McBride, Linda Davis, and Trisha Yearwood peaked at #20 on Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, although only McEntire received chart credit for it. Its music video was directed by Dominic Orlando and was filmed on the Chaplin Stage.

The four artistes performed the song on the 1996 Academy of Country Music Awards.

Chart positions

Chart (1995)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks	20
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	22

Other covers

• This song was also covered by Sheena Easton in 2000, on her album Fabulous.

External links

• On My Own at Allmusic